bad genes?

sleepypirate555 · Post by **sleepypirate555** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:14 pm

So recently my uncle told me that his brother and 2 of my grandparents had dxed sleep apnea. Mom says that my dad's parents "could suck the curtains off the windows" from the snoring. My great-grandmother had it too.

Is there a genetic component, or are we just unlucky?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:19 pm

According to this:
http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_apnea.htm

one of the risk factors that can predispose you toward having an obstructed airway, and therefore cause sleep apnea is:

A family history of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: No specific genetic marker has been discovered, but OSA seems to run in families. This may be a result of facial and neck characteristics or anatomic abnormalities that are passed along to succeeding generations

tomjax · Post by **tomjax** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:27 pm

If we agree that obesity is linked to apnea and obesity has a genetic component, then your genes certainly contribute to OSA.

If we agree that anatomic structures contribute to apnea and these have a genetic component then this also is a factor.

It may be a stretch to think of a genetic link to apnea as a primary factor, but then this is a very highly objective area. Maybe it is proper to think of genes as a secondary rather than a primary cause.

No OSA gene, but an obesity gene.
It is amazing how those genes that assured our survival in the past by storing fat to see us through the next famine would now kill us all off.
Evolution soes have a sense of humor after all.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:39 pm

This is from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Genetic Association with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Genetic Association
A genetic contribution to the sleep apnea is likely. The risk of sleep disordered breathing is much higher in family groups than unrelated individuals. Increased risk may be traced to familial facial form, soft tissue, and neurologic factors.

Abnormalities in bone structure of the face may rarely occur in "named" syndromes. More commonly, bone abnormalities are associated with less development of facial bones. Obesity, sex, and race may also affect obstructive sleep apnea.

No gene for sleep apnea is known yet. Different types of genes may increase the risk of obstructive sleep apnea.

This is from Case Western Reserve University.
Possible genetic link between sleep apnea and obesity discovered

The genome scans revealed that there was a particular genetic area-one involved in metabolic processes-that showed a significant association with both sleep apnea and body weight. This finding suggests that there may be one or more genes relevant to both functions, possibly influencing metabolic rate and breathing control.

najames · Post by **najames** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 6:13 pm

I don't care what any study says.

My dads side of the family was LOADED with sleep apnea. My uncle had it. 3 of his kids committed suicide by the age of 30 because of it, before DX and machines were readily available. My dad died when I was 2, not from related symptoms, can't comment on him. I have it, had a machine since about 1990, when I was thin. I have an older brother has it too. I have no idea how many other relatives have it. I havn't seen them in decades. I have a definate vote for genetic. Obesity is not a family trait either.

Grimace · Post by **Grimace** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 6:17 pm

I also have to believe that there is a genetic predisposition to apnea. Almost every male I've known on my dad's side of the family suffered from snoring that registered on Richter scales, and I'm sure it was caused by apnea.

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